In looking for the ocean, Frida Braide found concrete. This rock-hard second skin, the most destructive material on earth, is making the built environment outgrow the natural one. Unlike the natural world, however, concrete does not grow. Instead, its main quality is to harden and then degrade so slowly that it will outlast human civilization. Braide found that New York City will be underwater in less than a hundred years. This urban fortress that encapsulated humanity, keeping nature at bay, will be everlasting. It cloaks the past, covering what we wish to forget and what does not belong. It serves as the foundation of modern life, hiding time and taming nature. The concrete structures that the city is made of will remain, as they can resist nature for decades. Nature will crack the surface in due course, and we will do what we do best; cover it with more concrete. Even under water, New York City will remain intact. 

Frida Braide is a Scandinavian-born photographer and author based in Brooklyn, New York. She explores urban landscapes, architectural structures, and untouched accidental sculptures in those environmental settings. Braides’ work is influenced by her studies in theoretical philosophy, specifically the philosophy of language.

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